Ripped From Today’s Headlines, Pt . 1

What’s this? Oh no! I’d be happy to leave it like this, of course - but it does actually go somewhere. The title of the strip might give you a clue as to where exactly that might be. I think Gabriel drawed this one purty-like.

Much as I suggested, the demise (supernova? kill me) of Suprnova meant nothing or less than nothing in the grand scheme of copyright infringement. I’m not saying that makes me some kind of prophet, this was more like “guessing” the contents of a transparent, labeled container. I can’t perceive supernatural phenomena, but I’m somehow able to see completely obvious things, which I wasn’t aware was a skill in short supply until these companies began trying to nail jello to the wall.

Gabriel and I deviate somewhat on topic like this. When I say “somewhat,” I want you to imagine that I am waving to him across a vast, impassable chasm. This is because digital liberties are simply a codeword for Hippie Bullshit as far as he is concerned. Just as far away from me, on the other side, with his own chasm, would be somebody like Cory Doctorow. Brilliant author and Boing Boing contributor, I am not reading too much in to his writing to say that he believes there to be something inherently noble and proud about people transferring media and using technology unfettered. Impediments to that enterprise therefore take the role of the villain in his construction, and evil abounds - behold, even now these vile forces encroach on your coffee machine. This does not describe the way I feel about these issues. I want tons and tons of free shit and I don’t want to pay for it. Then I invariably feel bad and buy it, the ill-gotten media still resident on the platter.

There are some types of media that are exempt from this, and I’m not sure how I got so choosy with my law breakin’. The campaign against music piracy was surprisingly effective on me, even as I railed against it in the post. Games, can’t get those. I destroyed an Xbox trying to mod it, which I perceived as a divine communique. If I download a game for the PC it’s because I can’t get the fucking thing to work on account of the copy protection. I don’t think I’m going to hell for that, and not just because there isn’t one.

That leaves television programs, which I don’t feel any guilt over because I hit them back when a series is released on DVD. I wonder how many of the people who download stuff see it like this - the “take a penny, leave a penny” philosophy. I’m not trying to break copyright over my knee and howl as I suck out the juice. I’m just ready to live in the real world where the idea of media scarcity is incoherent and consumers handle the distribution.